Rivera: Devin Funchess 'a good young pro'

Aug 02, 2016

In June, Panthers coach Ron Rivera gushed over receiver Devin Funchess as being "light years ahead of where he was" as a rookie. The high praise out of Carolina just keeps coming.

"He's becoming such a good young pro and understanding what it takes to be successful," Rivera said at training camp this week, per The Charlotte Observer. "And when he's not doing things right, he really gets on himself, so I'm glad to see that maturation that he's going through."

Fantasy Impact:

As last year's second-round pick, Funchess was thrust into a starting role after wideout Kelvin Benjamin suffered a season-ending ACL injury before Week 1. That rookie-year transition included its share of bumps in the road, but the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Funchess bloomed to catch five touchdowns over Carolina's final nine regular-season games with a whopping 120 yards in the team's Week 17 win over the Buccaneers. Funchess is in the mix for targets but it's a bit of a crowded position, especially with the return of Benjamin and the play of Ted Ginn and Corey Brown. But, we have Funchess second among that group in our rankings.

yesterday

Chargers to sign RB J.K. Dobbins on one-year deal

Tom Pelissero

yesterday · 7:45 PM EDT

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is planning to sign with the #Chargers on a one-year deal. Electric when healthy, Dobbins — who averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career — reunites with OC Greg Roman and can hit the market again in March.

Related Players: Gus Edwards

Fantasy Impact:

Dobbins has had poor injury luck in his career, but has only managed 234 total rushes since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Chargers and might give them a runway to wait a little longer in the '24 Draft before they address the position.

Apr 16

Cowboys sign RB Royce Freeman

Todd Archer

Apr 16 · 8:15 PM EDT

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Apr 15

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year extension

Ian Rapoport

Apr 15 · 10:45 AM EDT

The Eagles have paid another big-time, rising player. This time, WR DeVonta Smith gets a 3-year, $75M contract extension that includes $51M guaranteed.

Related Players: A.J. Brown, DeVante Parker, Parris Campbell

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole. Smith will continue his 1b role in which he finished the 2023 season as fantasy's WR22.